HEALTH MATTERS: The draft National Plan for Women (2001-2005) is a convenient and comprehensive checklist of every Government commitment on women and gender and is a very useful negotiating tool, according to Dr Pauline Conroy, a social scientist and director of Ralaheen Research and Design.
Dr Conroy has worked with the European Commission on equal opportunities, and with the Council of Europe and the International Labour Organisation.
She is also the author of the discussion paper Reflecting at the Crossroads, prepared in the context of the draft national plan for women. It was commissioned by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and is available from the Department and on its website.
Dr Conroy told The Irish Times that Government commitments listed in the draft National Plan for Women (2001-2005) are not optional.
"They are the commitments to which this Government and any future government are bound. These are not optional. They are committed by law or by cabinet decision or by Council of Ministers' decision in Europe or by Structural Funds regulations."
The national plan lists Government commitments on women and poverty, education and training, health, violence against women, armed conflict, women and the economy, women in power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, human rights, the media, the environment and the girl-child.
The commitments show the mountain which has yet to be scaled, she says. "It shows how many of them have to be implemented because many of them are commitments which have yet to see the full light of day.
"For example, there are commitments on achieving a gender balance in decision-making.
"We know that most boards do not achieve the 60:40 suggested balance. Boards for example where there are nominations, or boards of private companies, in fact do not achieve 60:40 gender balance.
"For example, the Bank of Ireland only has two women on the board. I would consider that very imbalanced. And you can name me on that because I've told them.
"Given the importance of women customers to banks, I think that they should show the way in this."
The Bank of Ireland said two of its 15 directors were women, a configuration shared by Irish Life & Permanent. National Irish Bank's board comprises seven men and one woman. AIB has 12 board members, one of whom is a woman.
Dr Conroy's Reflecting at the Crossroads and similar papers are designed to aid organisers of discussion groups, arranged mainly by trade unions, associations and professional bodies. The discussion papers provide pointers to help navigate the national plan.
Groups could focus on one or two chapters most relevant to them, so the discussion can focus on points helpful for future Government thinking.
The sections in Reflecting at the Crossroads most pertinent to the workplace include the chapters on women and poverty, and women and the economy.
The women and poverty chapter examines resources and rights, paid and unpaid work, individual rights and "invisible women", which considers the invisibility of women's poverty in statistical data.
The chapter on women and the economy explores women as a source of economic growth, balancing work and family life, segregation and discrimination - which notes that occupations such as teaching have been feminised even further - and the unpaid work of women as parents, carers and community builders.
Next March, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform will summarise many of the submissions it has received on the national plan and on the discussions that have taken place.
Already, there's "quite a lot of activity and discussion taking place around the country, quietly", Dr Conroy said.
She added that matters such as pay, support infrastructures, bullying, sexual harassment and a safe working environment were issues being considered.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is interested in the consultative process, especially on reconciling work and family life, and whether there is enough being done in order to enable women to work at the times they wish to work.
It is interested in infrastructure for the care of children and the elderly to enable women not just to work but to keep up their social security contributions so they have a pension when they retire.
ICTU is naturally interested in wage inequality, promotional opportunities for women and the segregation of jobs between women and men.
Reflecting at the Crossroads is available free from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It is also posted in the "related documents" of the National Plan for Women (2001-2005) section on the department's website, www.justice.ie.
jmarms@irish-times.ie